De Blasio Appoints Anthony Shorris as First Deputy Mayor

New York City Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio on Wednesday named Anthony Shorris as his first deputy mayor.

Mr. Shorris is senior vice president and vice dean of New York University’s Langone Medical Center and is the former executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Mr. de Blasio called him “a natural leader for our team because of his extraordinary experience and accomplishment.”

The mayor-elect also appointed Dominic Williams, an aide who worked with Mr. de Blasio in the public advocate’s office, as chief of staff to Mr. Shorris. He also named Emma Wolfe, another aide from the public advocate’s office, as director of intergovernmental affairs.

Mr. Shorris said, “all I ever guaranteed [Mr. de Blasio] is a lot of effort and a few mistakes.”

He added, “I do think Bill brings an extraordinary vision …of a more progressive New York.”

He named the budget, affordable housing, lifting wages, and ending the ”overuse and abuse of stop-and-frisk” as priorities.

Mr. Shorris also mentioned ”ending the onerous testing system that has not been serving our children well.”

The majority of the city’s agencies will report to Mr. Shorris, Mr. de Blasio said. The New York Police Department commissioner and Department of Education chancellor will report directly to Mr. de Blasio. Mr. Shorris will make the day-to-day decisions of government, Mr. de Blasio added.